Label your quilts!

June 28, 2025
Label from a recently finished quilt

Yes, this is the label from the quilt referenced in two recent posts. The red you see was added with editing software to preserve my niece’s privacy. The original label was created using printable fabric sheets and my ink-jet printer. I like to use the free templates available from June Tailor/AccuQuilt as a starting point to create most of my labels. Now that AccuQuilt owns June Tailor, the templates may be found at the bottom of the Iron On Quilt Label product page (see bottom of screenshot below) rather than on the support page.

What info to include on your label? The Quilt Alliance has information about documenting your quilt and hints on making quilt labels. Simple or fancy? That’s up to you. Here’s a video that you may also find helpful.

Personally, I like to “name” the quilts I make. I also include the recipient’s name, quilt pattern name/designer, and the names of folks who helped make the quilt. I make sure to include city, state and month/year the quilt was finished. Depending on the recipient, I may include a photo of the quilt, cute graphic, quotes, or special notes about items used in making the quilt (silk ties, baby clothes, fiber content – wool, silk or bamboo batting, etc.). Recipients have told me they appreciate having care instructions on the quilt label. I like being able to customize care instructions for each quilt.

For this specific label, my sister-in-law got as far as she could before her advanced stage cancer left her too weak to continue. An extended family member was able to help me figure out when she last worked on it. I received the quilt bundle on Father’s Day. The quilt was finished and shipped to my niece yesterday (less than two weeks from receipt!). My niece approved the mock-up of the label and mentioned that she really appreciated the detail I was able to provide on the label.

Fifty years from now, my niece’s daughters will have documentation of the quilt’s history.

Boston bound

June 27, 2025

It took 3 days to machine quilt and hand bind this 54″ x 73″ quilt. I quilted it using Glide thread in Military Gold. Even with the Glide thread, my machine still hiccupped a couple of times as I was doing FMQ. At least it’s done.

After today’s quilt guild meeting, I attached the quilt label and packed the quilt, along with the pattern book, extra thread and remaining fabric, in a medium size Priority Mail box. It was definitely full! Anyway, the post office has the package and it should arrive at my niece’s home in Boston on Monday.

As for my sewing machine, it’s been four years since it’s been in for service. I gave it a really good clean-out, oiled some moving parts and bought a new FMQ bobbin case. A practice quilt sandwich showed everything was as it should be. I’ll quilt a charity quilt next. If the machine misbehaves again, then it will definitely be time to go see Mr. Marc.

When your sewing machine pitches a hissy fit

June 23, 2025

You get a date with Jack (of the seam ripper variety). Our date lasted about 6 hours as I unpicked all the FMQ done yesterday. Not fun. Fortunately, it amounted to only about 1/4 of the quilt.

What caused my machine to pitch a hissy fit? The thread. I normally use Glide or AeroQuilt thread for machine quilting. My niece wanted gold thread. I was able to find the desired color locally in a Mettler Silk Finish 50wt cotton. Never had any issues with this particular brand for piecing, so I certainly didn’t expect issues with FMQ. I installed an 80/12 topstitch needle, used the same thread top and bottom and attempted to FMQ. The machine wasn’t having it. I could do about 5 loops on the meander before the thread would break. Tried new needles, adding lubricant to the thread, rethreading multiple times, cleaned out the bobbin area. I finally gave up.

What made it especially exasperating? I’d quilted a bunny tablerunner as a warm-up for this project. I used Glide thread on it. No problems. Turned out really nice.

I loaded Glide thread back on the machine just to test after the Mettler cotton thread fiasco. Worked like a charm. Lesson learned.

Tomorrow, I’ll visit sewingmachine.com in Alpharetta to buy a cone of Glide thread in Military Braid or Caramel. I’ll take the quilt with me to get the best match. Also have a list from a friend of other colors to add to my Glide machine quilting thread collection while I’m there.

No more extended dates with Jack, please.